GARDENING

GARDENING; Get Out the Gloves and Pruning Shears

By JOAN LEE FAUST

Published: February 28, 1999

SNOWDROPS have been in bloom for some time now. There is even one brave crocus in bloom this moment. This can only mean that there is a change in season due soon. In spite of weather that is warm one day, cold the next, things are happening outdoors.

And it does make the winter-bound gardener eager to get outdoors. Is there anything that can be done now without doing harm to the garden? There certainly is; it is pruning. But before getting into the details, several essentials need to be established. First, one needs to have a good sturdy pair of sharp pruning shears. A good quality pair of pruning shears can be bought for under $50. Try out several pairs of shears to be sure they fit the hand well and are easy to work.

The next necessity is a good pair of garden gloves -- not the thin, attractive kind but sturdy ones that protect the hands and keep them warm. These gloves should be the kind that will last through the season, not simply for one chore.

And, finally, there is the question of what kinds of pruning chores to tackle. Tall shade trees, even the younger ornamentals, are best left to tree experts, the arborists who know what they are doing and have the right equipment (and insurance) to do the job properly. Because the trees are dormant now, this is an excellent time to have such work done.

In addition, the pruning of fruit trees is tricky and is best left to the experts. Grapevines are pruned now, too, and unless the hobbyist knows well what to do, leave this to the skilled and informed.

What's left? Plenty.

One of the major reasons for pruning is to put plants back in shape to suit the property. Sometimes when houses are bought, the new owners are faced with overgrown gardens and darkened windows because the woody plants have been left to grow huge and overtake the landscape.

In many cases, some of the plants can be cut back -- hard -- to return them to form. This is called rejuvenation pruning. Though it may seem drastic at first, in a few years the effort will be rewarded. Some plants that can be treated drastically -- that is to a foot or less high -- include forsythia, mock oranges, holly, rhododendrons, privet and mountain laurel. If there are questions about such drastic treatment, consult a local arborist or nursery owner for advice.

Several ornamental plants should also be pruned at this time of year. These are the plants that will bloom on the current season's growth. The first plant that comes to mind, of course, is the rosebush. But wait until the forsythia blooms, to work on the roses. This will allow any winterkill to be clearly evident, and the bushes can be pruned to encourage airy growth.

Plenty of other woody plants will need some tending. Buddleias, the butterfly bushes, need attention if they were not pruned last fall. These shrubs will bloom better. Peegee hydrangea need attention now, too. These large-growing plants provide magnificent August bloom if given the appropriate care now. The same is true for the magnificent rose of Sharon.

But there are many woody plants that should not be pruned now. The correct timing of pruning is probably ones of the hardest things for gardeners to learn, because many people are afraid they will do the wrong thing. This happens only if the timing of the pruning is wrong.

The plants not to prune now are those that bloom on wood that grew last year. The buds for spring bloom are already set for this year. If the pruning is done now, the flower buds would be cut off. No bloom.

Among the many shrubs that bloom in the spring are such favorites as forsythia, summersweet, deutzia, lilac, viburnum, mock orange, spiraea, azalea, pieris and kerria. These glorious spring-blooming shrubs deserve their usual show time. The proper time to prune them back is immediately after bloom. Sometimes gardeners neglect this chore and think they can delay the pruning until sometime in summer, because, after all, the shrubs bloomed. But if this pruning is delayed until too late in the year, the next spring flower buds that are forming in summer will be cut off. All will be lost. The objective: remember to prune immediately after bloom.

There is always a case of a straggly branch or two that does get in the way, no matter whether the shrub blooms on last year's wood or this year's wood. In such cases, these nuisance branches should be pruned, to get them out of the way. The same logic holds for any shrub that is oversized and needs a good trimming back.

But do remember that when spring comes, there will be a surge of new growth. It might be better to wait to see where some of these plants are growing before giving them too drastic a trim.

The most important thing to remember when pruning is that it is a form of art. In the hands of a wise gardener, the results can always be spectacular, but the only way to become expert is to learn by doing.